During the times of ignorance before Islam, there
was a tradition too that whenever any person used to wish to marry some other
woman leaving the earlier wife, in that case he used to accuse her wife falsely
and tyrannize her of various sorts. So that she might return the money of mahr under compulsion and get divorce,
in like manner, this money may be used in the second marriage. It has been
restricted in these verses that while you have given much wealth to your first
wife and now you wish to marry any other woman leaving the first, then you
should not take back that wealth or money. It is unlawful to take back the
given money from the first wife by the way of calumny and open wrong.

At the very time, the man and the woman have gone
in unto one another, kept company with each other and reached the certain point
of copulation, then the mahr (the
money or its value incumbent on the husband) has become payable upon the man to
his wife. How can it be lawful for the husband to get back that money of mahr and how can he press the woman if
she does not want to return? There can be only one mode to get back the mahr i.e. if the woman exempts it with
her pleasure. While these women have taken a strong pledge from you and you
have reaped the complete advantage from them, then how can it be lawful either
not to pay them or get back the money (incumbent on you) of mahr, which you
have already paid?

Remember it that as after copulation the entire mahr becomes incumbent on the husband to
be paid, like this, if correct solitude has taken place between the two
(husband and wife), even then complete mahr
will be payable. However, if they have not reached the point of correct
solitude and the husband has divorced her wife, then the mahr will be paid half. These matters have already been discussed
in chapter -2 (Surah ‘Al-Baqarah).

Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’an published By Idara Islah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated
Urdu to English by Muhammad Sharif).